Ponte Vedra residents aged 90 and up honored at Centenarian Luncheon

Honorees share their secrets to life at annual event

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In 1919, World War I had just ended, and Woodrow Wilson was president. A loaf of bread was about 10 cents at the local grocery store, and the 19th Amendment was to be ratified the following year, granting women the right to vote. A typical day might involve taking a drive in your Model T to go see the silent film and then arriving back to your mail-order home to turn on the radio and catch Irving Berlin croon “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody.”

At that time, Ponte Vedra centenarians Maxine Bohn, Connie Ratcliffe and June Reed may have been playing with their Raggedy Ann dolls or their Theodore Roosevelt-coined “Teddy Bears.”

Recently, these centenarians and others were honored by the St. Johns County Council on Aging (COA), in conjunction with the Social Security Administration, at the annual Centenarian Luncheon on Wednesday, May 22, at THE PLAYERS Community Senior Center in Ponte Vedra Beach. The event honors both centenarians and nonagenarians in the community. 

The luncheon was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach and included hospitality and food service by the Landrum Middle School IMPACT Club. Local favorite pianist John Thomas provided the entertainment. In addition to honorees’ friends and family members, representatives from the St. Johns County Sherriff’s Office and St. Johns County were in attendance. COA Board Member and Rotarian Bruce Barber emceed the event. 

Barber took time to individually address each guest, asking them about the most memorable events of their lives.

Ollie Flowers, 99, doesn’t cite the significant historical moments or political turns of the century. Instead, looking back, she simply remembers her “family and God.”

Many guests were also asked what the secret to their longevity is. Answers included, “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” “love everyone,” “lots of laughs and humor in your life,” and one honoree even joked, “Be stubborn to die!”

Afterward, guest speaker Rev. Wendy Billingslea from Christ Episcopal Church told the group of nearly 40 honorees, “We all want to be like you when we grow up.”

 

Photos courtesy of Amber Lake

Ollie Flowers, 99, and her daughter celebrate family at the Centenarian Luncheon on May 22 at THE PLAYERS Community Senior Center in Ponte Vedra Beach.

John Thomas entertains on the piano.

Vera Combs, 90, celebrates with her family at the Centenarian Luncheon.